Combined wear plate and centering device for draft-rigging keys for railway cars



Sept. 25, 1928. 1,685,455

S. L. JOINER COMBINED WEAR PLATE AND CENTERING DEVICE FOR DRAFT RIGGING KEYS FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed April l4 1926 A ,L l 0 r i I i I 3 i I Zl 5 WNW? 5 a I 49 h h h Patented Sept. 25, 1928.

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Application fiied'a ni 14, 1926. Serial No. 102,620.

The invention relates to a combined wear plate and centering device for draft rigging keys for railway cars.

The object of the present invention is to provide for draft rigging keys of railway cars, a simple, practical and eificient device of strong, durable and inexpensive construction designed to take the place of cotter keys,- bolts and similar fastening devices for securing the draft key in place and capable of yieldably maintaining the draft key in roper position in the slots of a draw bar an draft yoke and of eliminating the frequent displacements necessary where cotter pins and bolts are employed and occasioned by the wear and shearing of such fastening devices through the backward, forward and lateral movements of the draw bar and draft yoke.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combined wear plate and centering device of this character adapted for use on locomotives and various kinds of railway cars and capable of also being effectively em ployed on various kinds of draft rigging and of preventing the wrecks and other damage which often results from the wearing or shearing off of c'otter key or bolt and the separation of the draw bar from the draft oke due to the displacement of the draft liey after the cotter key or bolt has become broken.

With these other objects in view, the invention consists in the constructionand novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fiilly described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the sJirit or sacrificing any of the advantages 0 the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a combined wear plate and centering device constructed in accordance with this invention and shown applied to a draft rigging key.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the yieldablymount-ed plate which bears against the draft rigging.

In the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, the combined wear plate and centering device comprises in its construction, an inner wear plate 1 which is cushioned by coiled springs 2 and which is adapted to bear against the draft rigging for maintaining a draft key 3 yieldably in proper position. The draft key which is of the ordinary construction is employed forconnecting the draw bar or shank of a car coupling of a locomotive or railway car with the draft rigging whichmay be of any desired type and which may have the draw bar keyed to a draft yoke or to draft sills. As the combined wear plate and centering device is adapted for use on all types of draft rigging where keys of this character are employed, illustration of any particular construction of draft i'iggingand draw baris deemed unnecessary. The wear plate 1 which ispreferably oblong as shown is provided with a central horizontal slot 4 throu h which passes the key 3 and which is of su cient length to permit the necessary relative movement between the key and the wear plate incident to the backward, for ward and lateral movement of the draft rigiging and the draw bar.

The wear plate 1 is connected with an attaching plate 5 by horizontal rods or pins 6 rigid with the wear plate 1 and slidable in guiding openings 7 in the attaching plate 5. The rods or pins 6 arepreferably cast integral with the attaching plate but they ma be connected with the same many other desired manner and they are headed at their outer ends at 8 after beingpass'ed through the openings 7 in theattaching plate 5. The pins '6 are preferably arranged in pairs at the ends of the plates and the coiled springs Bare disposed. on the pins and are interposed between the plates as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing. The pins are adapted to slide in the oblong openings 7 to permit the necessary relative inward and outward movement of the wear plate 1 with respect to the attachin plate 5. The attaching plate 5 is provide with a horizontal slot 9 through which passes the key and which is located between parallel horizontal flanges 10. The horizontal flanges 10 which project from the outer face of the attaching plate 5 arearranged at the upper and lower walls of the slot 9 in flush relation with the said walls and they are provided with perforations 11 which re ister with perforations 12 in the key for the reception of 15 disposed on the pins and interposed between bolts 13. The bolts 13 are provided with nuts 14; which may be located on the bolts in any desired manner and any other suitable fastening devices may be employed for securing the flanges of the attaching plate to the key. The flanges present fiat, faces to the upper and lower facesof the key and "the device operates to cushion the key and maintain the same always in proper position in the slots of the draft rigging and the coupler shank or draw bar and the yieldable connection between the wear plate and the attach ing plate not only operates to maintain the key always in a proper central position, but will also prevent any liability of the bolts 13 or other fastening devices from being sheared OE and the key released through the backward, forward and lateral movements of the draw bar or coupler shank and the draft rigging. Also the vwrecks and other accidents incident to the displacement of a draft rigging key will be avoided and frequent replacements of the fastening devices for se curing the key in place will be obviated. The pair of bolts 13 is preferably employed for securing the flanges of the attaching plate 5 to the keybut one or more may be employed as will be readily understood. Instead of heading the outer ends of the pins 6 they may as shown in Fig. 4 be provided with holes 15 to receive cotter pins or equivalentfastening device.

What I claim is: 1. In combination with a draft key, a com bined wear plate and centering device comprising an inner vertical plate provided with a horizontal slot through which passes the key and which is adapted-to bear against draft rigging, an outer attaching plate having a horizontal draft key receiving slot and provided with openings and having means for securing it to the key, pins rigid with the inner plate and slidable throughthe openings in the attaching plate and provided at their outer ends with heads, and coiled'springs the said plates.

7 .2. Acombined wear plate and centering device for draft keys comprising an inner plate provided with a horizontal slot receiving a draft key, an attaching plate also provided with a horizontal keyreceiving slot and provided with openings located above and below the slot and arranged in pairs at the ends thereof, horizontal flanges formed integral with and extending from the attaching plate and provided with perforations, fastening devices arranged in the perforations of the flanges for securing the attaching plate to the said key, horizontal pins rigid with the inner plate and arranged in pairs at the ends thereof and slidable through the openings in the attaching plate and provided at their outer ends with stops for retaining them in the said openings, and coiled springs disposed on the pins and interposed between the inner andouter plates for cushioning the device to yieldably maintain the draft key in proper position.

3. In combination with a draft key, of a combined wear plate and centering device comprising an inner plate provided with a slot through which passes the key which is adapted to bear against draft rigging, an attaching plate having a draft key receiving slot and provided with openings and having means for securing it to the key, pins extending from the main plate and slidable through the openings in the attaching plate, and coiled springs disposed on the pins and interposed between the said plates.

4:. A combined wear plate and centering device for draft keys comprising an inner plate provided with a slot to receive a draft key, an attaching plate provided with a key receiving slot and having openings located above and below the slot and arranged in pairs at the ends'thereof, fastening devices for securing the attaching plate to the key, pins extending from the inner plate and arranged in pairs at the ends thereof and slidable through the openings in the attaching plate, and coiled springs disposed onthe pins and'interposed between the plates for cushioning the device to yieldably maintain the draft key in vproperposition.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. I

SYLVESTER J OINER. 

